Various medical conditions may call for therapeutic electrical stimulation within the epidural space of the spine. Therefore, medical leads capable of delivering stimulation signals are implanted within the epidural space. In some cases, it may be necessary to clear the epidural space as well as the entryway to the epidural space of fatty tissue, scar tissue, and the like in order to provide for easier ingress of the medical lead. This is particularly true for paddle leads that are implanted through a surgical procedure due to the relatively wide distal paddle on the medical lead.
Conventionally, a rigid plastic tool or a soft tool is inserted into the epidural space through a window created within the vertebral bone and associated ligaments. However, the rigid plastic tool presents multiple issues. A first issue is that the rigid plastic provides minimal deflection when entering the epidural space at an angle through the window and thus creates a potential pressure point along the dura of the spinal cord which can cause discomfort and potential paralysis. Another issue is that once in the epidural space, the rigid plastic tool often has less than adequate clearing ability. The soft plastic also presents multiple issues. Once inside the epidural space the soft plastic may deflect in an undesired direction. Additionally, the soft plastic may not have the stiffness to track in the ideal direction. This is particularly true as the width and length of the paddle continues to grow with newer versions of paddle leads where the increased paddle width increases the likelihood of snagging the blockages within the epidural space. Furthermore, the rigid plastic tool with minimal deflection cannot enter at a shallow enough angle to allow for adequate insertion distance needed to reach and clear the target stimulation site.